In this episode of The Line: Alberta Podcast, Rob Breakenridge takes a closer look at the latest water crisis in the city of Calgary following the catastrophic failure of a crucial water line (again). As Calgarians face weeks or months of water use restrictions and costly and lengthy work on the system, an independent panel (established after the last crisis, just 18 months ago) has released its findings, which are quite scathing when it comes to Calgary's oversight and management of the water system. So much of this was preventable, it seems.
We'll hear two different perspectives on the situation: Kerry Black is an associate professor and Canada Research Chair at the Schulich School of Engineering at the University of Calgary. We'll get her perspective on what caused these problems and what needs to change moving forward, both in terms of how the system operates and how businesses and households use that system.
We'll also have a perspective from an expert in the industry: Micheal Montanero is with SmartAqua Technology Solutions, which works with communities and businesses to minimize water loss. One of the findings in the panel's report on Calgary's water system was how serious the issue of water loss was becoming amid an aging and crumbling infrastructure. We'll hear Micheal's thoughts on how Calgary dropped the ball and what the lessons other cities should learns from this crisis.
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The Line: Alberta is a provincial bureau of The Line, edited by Jen Gerson and Matt Gurney. Email us at alberta@readtheline.ca.
